


Spider Legs

by Sorbet_Shark



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders Angst, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders-centric, Arachnophobia, Blood, Blood and Gore, Body Horror, Caring Logic | Logan Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders is a Good Friend, Hurt Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Hurt Morality | Patton Sanders, Hurt/Comfort, Logic | Logan Sanders Is A Good Friend, Loss of Limbs, Major Character Injury, Morality | Patton Sanders Angst, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Sweetheart, Not Beta Read, Spider Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, regrowth of limbs, roman might be ooc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:21:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24992992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sorbet_Shark/pseuds/Sorbet_Shark
Summary: When Virgil realizes that Patton has arachnophobia, he panics. After all, he is part spider. Under his hoodie he hides a thorax, abdomen, and two pairs of spider legs, and he comes equipped with fangs, extra eyes, and a spinneret. Fearing the worst, Virgil goes to Roman for help. When all else fails, Virgil goes to extremes. He decides that, in order to protect Patton, he needs to rip off his legs and fangs.Mind the tags! There is body horror, spiders, blood (it's blue), and recovery from injuries. The part of the recovery mirrors my experience with wisdom tooth removal since the fangs are kinda like teeth anchored deep in the jaw. Patton is kinda scared of Virgil for a bit but it ends happily.If there is anything that I didn't tag that I should've, let me know and I will.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 177





	Spider Legs

“Augh! Virgil!” Patton screeches, jumping onto the couch and flapping his arms in distress. “There’s a spider on you!”

Virgil jumps in concern, but looks over to see Leah on his shoulder. Leah is one of the many spiders who live in the mindscape who gravitate to Virgil’s room, and one of the few who liked to catch rides on Virgil’s clothes. Looking from Leah’s concerned eyes back to Patton, he frowns. Patton shudders, a shake that repeats throughout his full body. “I… I’ll handle it, Pat.”

“Thank you, Virgil- Hurry!” Patton’s voice wavers as Leah moves up towards Virgil’s neck and face. Virgil doesn’t know how to do this without either scaring Patton more or terrifying Leah. But Leah can forgive him, if Patton figured out- Virgil didn’t even want to think of it. Carefully, Virgil pulls a tissue, carefully scooping up Leah, who begs for mercy in a voice Patton cannot hear. Virgil wonders if Patton would reevaluate his fear if he knew, but deep down he knows that fear doesn’t work rationally. The fact that Leah has an egg sac days from hatching wouldn’t change the way that Patton stares at her. Making sure that Leah is in the folds of the tissue away from his grip, he pinches down hard, cracking a knuckle to simulate the sound of her carapace crunching. Virgil then excuses himself, dropping the tissue into the trash in a way that allows Leah to crawl up his sleeve. Having saved his friend, Virgil turns back to walk into the living room.

“I’m sorry, Virgil, I didn’t mean to scare you, I just-” Patton sputters. “I just… I have arachnophobia. I’m sorry I never told you.”

“It’s ok, Pat,” Virgil says in as calming a voice as he can muster. “The spider is gone, you’re safe. I can get Logan to come down and check on you?” Patton opens his mouth to say something but closes it, nodding. “Ok, he’ll be right down.

Virgil’s feet carry him before he can comprehend where he’s going. Logan’s door. Knuckles rap against it.

“Just a second!”

“L, it’s me.” Virgil says, ignoring how the anxiety drips into his voice. “Patton needs you. Spider threat.” He hopes that Virgil mistakes his worries as arachnophobia too. Virgil knows that Logan heard him, so he makes his way to his room.

Only after the door closes does Virgil let Leah out of his sleeve. “I’m so sorry.” Virgil chitters, the mandibles sliding to the front of his mouth.

“Ok. I’m Ok!” Leah chitters back, rubbing her face against Virgil’s finger. 

Virgil leans over to the banister, allowing Leah to climb onto her web. His hoodie wriggles on the inside as a pair of legs unzips the hoodie. The other pair slides the hoodie off of his arms, revealing his spider-like thorax and abdomen. Looking in the mirror behind him, he looks at his back, covered in fine hairs like those of a tarantula, and he knows that a spinneret rests lower down his back. Virgil happily stretches his two pairs of arms, though they comfortably fit against his carapace, they feel tense and cramped after a long day of hiding.

“I am so fucked,” Virgil chitters, wiping at the dark heavy stage makeup from over his three sets of smaller eyes. The modeling wax coated in concealer comes off, then the cotton pads that protect his eyes. “I’m an absolute monster!” Virgil knew that Patton was afraid of the spider web curtains when he ducked out, but Virgil had assumed that it was simply a small fear accentuated by his room. He didn’t think it was that bad. But how could he change this? There wasn’t a permanent solution, and Virgil was shaky at shapeshifting. The closest he had gone to being normal was when Thomas had decided to shapeshift his sides into his friends. When Virgil was shifted back, he was shifted into what Roman thought Virgil looked like. So, a spindly and tall, yet relatively normal, person. That had lasted a week, but- maybe- if Roman put intention into it… that could work.

Knowing that Logan was downstairs with Patton made it much easier to sneak down the hall to Roman’s room. It also helped that Virgil could creep across the ceiling, hoodie abandoned. Reaching a long, spindly leg down, Virgil opens Roman’s door and slips in, closing it behind him.

When it wasn’t in the form of Thomas’ apartment, Roman shapes his room to be whatever Thomas would like to daydream about, usually being a fantasy land straight out of Lord of the Rings. Today, however, it was an expansive white void. Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, Virgil shivers. In the center, Roman sits, fussing over what appears to be a golf cart next to a waist height metallic cube. Or, at least, waist height when Virgil uses his human legs. Now he is propped up, body in the air, by his sets of spider legs.

“Ok, don’t be scared, but please turn around slowly?” Virgil calls out, jolting Roman up. Thankfully he still is facing the opposite direction.

Virgil can hear a grin in Roman’s voice as he talks. “Ah, My Chemically Imbalanced Romance! Come to check it out? Well, Logan got me confused by the whole immovable object-unstoppable force thing and I wanted- to…” Roman trails off, turning around and taking in Virgil in all his spindly arachnid glory. Realizing that he looks more intimidating, he lowers himself to stand on his human legs, curling his legs around himself protectively. His fangs click nervously.

“Please don’t scream.” Virgil’s voice wavers as Roman gapes.

After an unbearably long pause, Roman breaks the silence. “By King Arther’s sword! Virgil! Who did this to you!”

“I- what?” Virgil frowns. “Nobody. This is just me.”

“But how?”

“I dunno, man! I’ve just always been like this!”

Roman’s eyes bulge. “How the holy heck did you hide all of this?” Roman gestures at Virgil’s spider features.

“Uncomfortably. But can you help me? I need to get rid of all this. Patton can’t hate me and I don’t want to go back.” Tears flood from Virgil’s human eyes, the others don’t have tear ducts. Or eyelids.

“Woah woah woah.” Roman grimaces. “I am reeling right now, but… whatever happens you’re staying with us. And I don’t think Patton could hate you… He’d just be afraid of you… but couldn’t hate… you…”

The tears turn to sobs. “Not helping, Princey. Turn me normal.”

Roman scrunches his face. “The thing is… I don’t think I can.” Virgil gasps as Roman hurries to explain himself. “I’ve tried, and body changes don’t last. The longest they’ve stayed is a month, and it needs constant focus. I can’t do it long-term.”

Virgil glances from the perpetual motion buggy and immovable force, and a lightbulb goes off in his head. “I have an idea, but you probably won’t like it.”

Roman nods. “Continue?”

“Yank them off.” Virgil replies bluntly, trying to hide the way it hurts to say.

“Come again?”

“Tie me to the cube, tie the legs and fangs to the car. Then I just need to hide my torso? And eyes.”

“No.” Roman stands up. “This is ridiculous! It would be better if you just continued hiding it! Plus, what if they grow back? Do you really want to do this more than once?”

“No.” Virgil confesses. “But I can’t risk losing Pat. It’s a matter of time before my legs become too sore to hide, or my fangs come out by accident.”

Roman falters. “I- let’s try the shape shifting. I don’t want you getting hurt. Ok?”

“I don’t want you getting hurt because of me, though! You’re so important and I don’t want to do that to you!”

“Well, Hot Topic, that’s how I feel about you. So please, let me at least try to help before we give up. We can make a deal, I only do so during the day, so that I can conserve energy?”

Virgil smiles, outstretching a human arm. “Deal.” They shake hands.

“Hold on.” Roman concentrates and Virgil can feel himself change. Legs shrink into his back, an exoskeleton is replaced by flesh that he only sees after molting, and the eyes turn into freckles. The fangs shrink back until they are gone, and Virgil feels a tugging in his stomach, as if his insides are rearranged. Roman admires his handiwork, masking the exhaustion that the focus causes. This isn’t how shapeshifting usually goes. Instead of borrowing one form, Roman hides features and changes functions. But he grins and bears it. What else can he do?

Virgil lunges at Roman, hugging him tightly. “Thank you. This’ll… take some getting used to, but I appreciate it. If it gets to be too much I understand.”

Roman smiles weakly. “Let’s go downstairs, I think it’s lunch time.”

***

The first thing Virgil does as he reaches the kitchen is ask for a hug. With no spider legs, there’s no way that Patton can figure out what’s going on under the hoodie. Over the next week, Patton can cheerfully say Virgil is definitely seeking physical affection, and that he’s proud of him. Virgil enjoys this freedom that Roman’s shapeshifting has on him, though he makes sure to lock himself in his room when Roman looks tired. Which has become more and more frequent.

While Virgil’s mental health is seemingly better, Roman’s has taken a nosedive. Mainly, he doesn’t seem to have the energy to be his usual self. He hadn’t even bothered changing his room back from that fateful day. And though Virgil wants to ignore this, he can’t ignore the guilt that comes from hurting his friend. He wants to run whenever Logan or Patton fuss over Roman, he knows that he is the cause of the creative side’s stress.

When Virgil is sure that Roman is sleeping downstairs after movie night turned slumber party, he creeps into Roman’s room. It didn’t take too long to get the ropes ready, one for each spider limb and fang, and one to tie Virgil to the cube. Tying everything, he gets into position, knowing that pulling one line will turn on the car that won’t stop.

Virgil inhales, trying to get a hold of himself without panicking. Maybe he’s hoping that someone will come up and stop him, but nobody knows what he’s planned for tonight. An infinity passes before Virgil nods. Now or never. Maybe he can find a way to peel back the protective carapace on his torso, or to stuff it so that it fills out the hoodie. But that’s a problem for later. Now, he just needs to pull. And as soon as the thought turns to action, Virgil is filled with an unbearable pain. The cart comes to life, lurching forward, and for a second Virgil thinks it will stop, leaving him tugged a bit too far, but eventually it jolts again. The pace of the car isn’t as fast as Virgil would have liked it, but at least it isn’t too slow. Even still, Virgil feels and comprehends every snap and pull. It starts with the unbearable pull in his back, a crunch that drags out, and screaming. Before Virgil can decipher the feeling, his face is yanked forward and he regrets not tying back his head. He’s almost sure that the screaming isn’t just him as he finally feels the limbs come loose, the teeth following. 

In and out of consciousness, Virgil feels wetness dripping down his back and face, and when he reaches to touch his face, his hand comes away blue. He hears the engine stop, he hears continued screaming. Weakly raising his head, he looks over to see one figure leading another out, and Virgil wants to scream. It’s Patton. He saw. He knows. It was nice being accepted while it lasted, Virgil muses, ready to give into the exhaustion filling his body, But I know I’m a monster.

***

Virgil wakes up on the couch, incredibly sore. As he comes to, he recognizes that ice is packed against his swollen jaws and back. Virgil wonders briefly if his time unconscious was spent by Logan examining and experimenting on him, but he tries to shake the thought. No matter how curious Logan might be, he knows that Virgil is Logan’s friend first and foremost. Speaking of, while his human eyes are closed, he notices Logan sitting on the chair next to the couch. He seems to be deep in thought, comparing notes.

“L?” Virgil mumbles, mouth blocked by gause. “Whaf happenf?”

Logan only jumps a bit. “Ah, Virgil, you’re awake. No, don’t get up, it’s ok. I was getting worried. Did you know your blood is blue?”

Virgil nods slowly. “Ish Pat hurth?”

Logan takes a moment to decipher the muffled speech. “Ah. Patton was given quite the fright, both by your, ahem, arachnid condition, and also by your injury. He was overwhelmed for a few hours, but we have been working on exposure therapy for the past few days.”

Virgil can’t help but whine.

“If you were wondering, it was Patton’s idea to try and overcome his phobia. While it might be awkward at first, he will get to the point where he is ok spending time with you when your limbs grow back. But that isn’t a problem for now. Do you molt?”

Virgil nods.

“Then, your limbs should grow back when you next molt. I don’t know when this is, but they’ll be weaker and smaller. The same is true with your fangs, but your mouth will be healed enough for solids and talking by next week or so. We also need to discuss clothes that don’t constrict your limbs.”

Virgil tries to argue back, but ends up spitting out a bloody cotton ball.

“Would you like to write or text? Also, banana, chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla?”

Virgil nods and reaches for his phone. Choco, y?

“You haven’t eaten and your fluid intake has been severely low for a week. You’ve been unconscious the entire time. I’m not certain how your dietary needs are different from ours, but until then, you’re drinking a flavored protein drink aimed at replacing the calories and nutrients lost. It also contains a probiotic powder to counteract the strong antibiotics I want you to take to avoid infection.”

Virgil nods. Can I talk 2 Pat?

“It would be best to do so by phone, Patton is still struggling with, you know- which is no fault of your own! Of course. He can talk while you text, if you’d like.”

Virgil nods, and after Logan gets him his drink and medicine, Logan goes to tell Patton. Soon, Virgil’s phone rings.

“Oh, Virgil! I’m so sorry that this happened! Logan said it wasn’t my fault or yours but I still feel so guilty.”

Ur ok, I was the one who looks like this and couldn’t hide it. 

“No, Virgil! You aren’t at fault for something you were born with. My phobia doesn’t change our friendship, I really care about you, Virg.”

Asdfhsj thanks Pat.

“No problem, Virg, I promise we can work through this and I hope you heal quickly. Love you.”

Love u 2.

As Patton hangs up, Virgil stares at the phone until it turns off. His cheeks are swollen, Virgil can feel stitches at the top of his mouth, and he if the sacs of venom came out with the fangs or were removed by Logan afterwards. Roman was right, this was a terrible idea.

***

Virgil wakes up, stretching. He always feels uncomfortable after a molt, but this one felt much worse as two stubby sets of legs. After months of having four limbs, having eight is a strange experience to get used to, and that doesn’t even take into account the soreness in them. At least his fangs had completely grown in. but since the molt, Virgil couldn’t bear to put his hoodie on. Patton had shown progress. Virgil could now walk around without hiding his carapace or eyes. It was mostly the legs that did it to him.

Gripping his soft post-molt skin with the legs, Virgil pulls on his hoodie, wincing as the fabric rubs against his legs. He promised Roman he’d be there for breakfast, and he knew that Patton was planning on having a family breakfast that morning. Virgil hadn’t really left his room since the molt, and he mostly cocooned himself in his webbing, napping.

Virgil pushes the door open, creeping down the hall. “Pat? Can I come in?”

“Oh! Thank you for asking, V,” Patton says cheerily, though Virgil can hear a slight shiver in his voice. “Of course, come on in!” Virgil touches his mouth to make sure his fangs aren’t visible before he enters the room.

Roman and Logan are arguing passionately at the table. “Yes, Microsoft Nerd, I know I said that waffles are the best but you didn’t say that french toast was an option!”

“Oh come on.” Logan snaps back. “It was obviously implied when you defined breakfast food as ‘stuff like pancakes, cereal, and breakfast pastries’, and it’s not my fault you were overly vague and left out some valid options!”

“Oh yeah? Like what?”

“First off, using the word in the definition is a no-go, you need to explain what falls here. Second, a variety of goods can be likened to pancakes. Third, where do eggs go? Are omelettes pancake-like? What about fresh fruit?” Logan rants before noticing Virgil. “Ah, good morning, Virgil. Are you comfortable? I remember you mentioning your back was still sore to the touch.”

“Oh, I just molted, so I feel different,” Virgil deflects, hoping that Logan won’t dig into it.

“But you never said-” Virgil gestures to stop, pointing to the kitchen. Logan nods. “Ah, I see. Would you like to talk to Patton about it? We have progressed to watching live spiders move behind glass.” 

“My ears are burning, what’s up?” Patton pokes his head in carrying two plates of pancakes.

“Your ears are not- You know, nevermind.” Logan starts. “Virgil has recently molted. Am I correct to believe that your legs have started to grow back and that they are still sensitive?” Virgil nods, unwilling to open his mouth. “And have your fangs?” Virgil nods again.

Virgil sees that Patton has grown paler. “Well then, kiddo.” He takes a deep breath. “I guess we knew this would happen eventually. Do… whatever feels comfortable.”

“Are you sure?” Virgil asks, hand in front of face. Patton nods.

Virgil unzippers his hoodie, revealing the fleshier skin underneath. As the hoodie falls to the ground, the legs spasm slightly as they stretch. The fangs slide out, peeking out of his mouth. “So, yeah.”

Patton freezes for a moment before he composes himself. This is Virgil. His friend who would never hurt him. His friend who is uncomfortable and in pain. He can deal with this until Virgil or Patton himself leaves. “You poor thing, that looks painful.”

Confusion crosses Virgil’s face. He didn’t expect that reaction. “Yeah, it is I guess. I can deal with it, and by next week my carapace will harden and I’ll be fine.”

“And those,” Patton squeaks a bit as he gestures to the legs, around three quarters of their previous length, though not strong enough to lift anything heavier than a computer. “When do they grow back?”

“Oh, I think that these’ll be effed up until I molt next in a year or two.” Virgil gestures at the leg hanging limply at his side.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, kiddo.” Patton’s voice takes on a strange quality between scared and concerned.

“It’s ok. Let’s eat and then I’ll head upstairs.”

***

By the time Virgil’s legs are back to their original strength, he is able to wear the hoodie that Roman made for him that features a large hole in the back without upsetting Patton. Ever since the increased mobility, Virgil has been hanging out in more bizarre locations around the house. Currently, he is napping in the upper left corner of the laundry room. That is, he was napping. Now, he is looking around for the voice that woke him up.

“Oh Virgil!” Patton calls in a sing-song voice from somewhere else in the house. “I have a present for you!”

Virgil drops himself onto the ground, landing on six legs, before standing up and walking towards the living room. “Pat?”

“Here!” Patton thrusts forward a gift bag filled with tissue paper.

Virgil blushes blue. “Aw, Pat, you didn’t have to- I didn’t get you anything.”

“Your happiness is enough of a gift,” Patton says sagely before showing his excitement. “Come on, open it!”

Virgil smiles before tearing into the bag. One tube, two, three. Virgil gets it. He plops on the ground sorting out two arm warmers with thumb holes, four long thin leg warmers for the spider legs, and two leg warmers for the human legs. Carefully, he puts all of them on, they are knitted with a chunky purple yarn mixed with a thinner black yarn. They are just his style.

“Thanks Pat,” Virgil’s voice wavers. “I really love this. It’s perfect!”

Patton beams. “I am very happy to hear that- wait- do you think you could knit a big blanket with your legs?”

Virgil raises his legs at eye level. “Maybe, as long as you show me the ropes.”

Virgil smirks as Patton squees. “A knitting pun! You’ll have me in stitches!”

“Well,” Virgil starts. “Actually no, I’ll stop while I’m ahead. Let’s get started.”

Patton guides Virgil through the process enough that he starts to get the hang of it. Looping around the legs, Virgil marvels at how far Patton has come, hell, how far he himself has come. While a few years ago Virgil would have seen himself as a monster freak, he now knows that he is simply different. It’s not bad or good, just true. He also is able to comfortably express himself. Patton, on the other hand, is far less anxious about spiders. Virgil helped him to apologize to Leah, who was now an old lady among the spiders in his room. Patton also became better at picking up spiders in a cup and bringing them to Virgil or his room. Not that Virgil would say, but he asked the spiders to be nicer to Patton. Sure, Patton occasionally got startled by a spider on the ceiling, but he was able to calm himself down without anyone’s house. Patton and Virgil enjoyed reading about spiders together, as well as watching nature documentaries. Virgil grins as his legs click together, starting to amass a sizable blanket. He could have never imagined this turn of events, but now that he and Patton have reached this point together, Virgil could not be more happy.

**Author's Note:**

> that was surprisingly fun to write. there is no way in hell that I would write any kind of smut with Spider!Virgil, but I spent a surprising amount of time looking into how spider organs work, including the digestive system and the genitalia. Interesting stuff. 
> 
> Did I make Virgil too creepy?
> 
> Was I too gory?
> 
> Though looking at spiders sometimes freak me out, I enjoyed the research portion. Also, I based Patton's arachnophobia off of my own fear of bugs, meaning it mainly stems from the way they walk, their fangs, the thought of them crawling on me. I also react similarly to how Patton did at the beginning. I suppose that this is a common reaction.
> 
> I got the idea from a fic that I do not remember the name of where Patton has arachnophobia and Virgil is spider-like and I thought "What if Virgil just- ripped his legs off?". If anyone knows the fic that this is from, I'll edit this to link to it


End file.
